We’d like to take a moment and recognize our service men and women, as well as their families, for the sacrifices they’ve made in protecting our freedom.

As we celebrate the 4th of July, families are planning their picnics, vacations and fireworks celebrations. When you begin your search for fireworks, you look for the best deals, the most spectacular displays, and the biggest bang for your buck. Many people tend to overlook safety, which can result in your holiday being much less spectacular than expected.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s most recent annual fireworks injury report, fireworks caused eight deaths and nearly 13,000 injuries in 2017. Two-thirds of the fireworks injuries treated in emergency rooms happened between mid-June and mid-July.

Children and young adults are frequent victims. Children age 15 and under accounted for 36% of the total injuries, according to the commission’s report. And half of the injuries requiring an emergency room visit were to people age 20 or younger. As fun as they seem for kids, sparklers can be dangerous as they burn at more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Sparklers were responsible for 1,200 of the injuries in the latest report.

Some of the most commonly experienced eye injuries from fireworks are: burns, lacerations, abrasions, retinal detachment ruptured eyeballs and optic nerve damage. An important misconception is that once the firework explodes it is no longer dangerous. However, the sparks that produce the amazing glow often burn at temperatures over 1000 degrees and fireworks release shrapnel as they explode.

As you prepare to celebrate and light off your own fireworks or watch a spectacular show put on by professionals.

Here are some tips to help keep you and your loved ones safe this year:

• Contact your local fire department if a firework does not explode to properly handle it.
• Never let children play with fireworks. Even sparklers can be very dangerous to young children.
• ALWAYS wear approved protective eyewear if you plan on detonating fireworks.
• Abide by ALL safety barricades and give yourself extra room well behind them at least 500-1000 feet away!
• Leave the building and launching of professional grade fireworks to the professionals.

If you are injured from fireworks be sure to seek medical attention immediately. Be sure to follow these safety tips to help prevent making the injury worse.

• Do not remove any objects that are stuck in or protruding from your eye.
• Do not rinse or add a solution to your eye.
• Do not rub your eyes.
• If any foreign objects enter the eye do not take any pain killers that will cause your blood to thin such as aspirin or ibuprofen.

Remember this year as you venture out to celebrate our nation’s freedom and independence that it’s important to respect fireworks. They are not a toy and can cause serious damage to not only your eyes but also to other parts of your body. Have a safe and happy holiday.

About Bissell Eye Care: John D. Bissell, OD owns and operates Bissell Eye Care servicing Northern Pittsburgh and Alle-Kiski Valley regions. With two locations to treat patients, we offer evening and Saturday appointments. Bissell Eye Care provides comprehensive eye examinations for the entire family beginning as early as 6 months, ocular disease detection and treatment, eyeglasses, sunglasses, activewear, contact lenses, and low vision examinations for those with significant vision loss. We accept most types of vision and health insurance plans. For more information, visit bisselleyecare.com or call our Bakerstown Office at 724-443-6767 or Natrona Heights office at 724-226-0444.